Motion transmitting apparatus for pump plungers and the like



April 25, 1961 A. R. SCHOLIN 2,981,116

MOTION TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR PUMP PLUNGERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 20, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l (bl/TX 7? FIG. I

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, -T INVENTOR Apnl 25, 1961 A. R. SCHOLIN 2,981,116

MOTION TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR PUMP PLUNGERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 20, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MIR INVENTOR AXEL. R.SCHOLIN TTY.

Apnl 25, 1961 A. R. SCHOLIN 2,981,116

MOTION TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR PUMP PLUNGERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 20, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v V 5 204 l4 1 FIG. 4

FIYIG. 3

. INvE NToR AXEL R. ScHouN ATTY.

'nited rates MOTION TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR FUR 1P PLUNGERS AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to apparatus for transmitting reciprocal motion to pump plunger or the like, and the invention has been illustrated as being applied to an injection pump associated with metering apparatus which is designed for use in connection with the chemical treatment of water for purification, softening, therapeutic or other purposes, as, for example, in commercial water treatment systems wherein chlorine, a softening solution, fluorine or other substance in liquid form or in solution is introduced in measured quantities into water which is flowing through a conduit leading to a storage tank or reservoir. The invention is, however, capable of other uses and the motion-transmitting apparatus of the present invention may, if desired, with or without modification, be employed for imparting reciprocal motion to variable stroke plungers associated with pumping mechanism designed for a wide variety of other purposes. Irrespective, however, of the particular use to which the invention may be put, the essential features thereof are at all times preserved.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a novel means for varying the amplitude of the stroke of a pump plunger so that the quantity of fluid delivered by the pump may be regulated within very fine limits, the adjustment by means of which such regulation may be obtained being accomplished by the simple expedient of turning a thumb screw in one direction or the other. Toward this end, the invention contemplates the provision of an adjusting means which may be manipulated during operation of pumping apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in connection with a water treatment system.

In these drawings:

Fig 1 is a front elevational view of a metering apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the same operatively connected in a water treatment system;

Fig. la is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 1a1a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is' a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view takensubstantially-along the line 4-4 of Fig.3; and a V a Patented Apr. 25, 1961 Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the metering apparatus of the present invention has been shown and described herein as being operatively-associated with a water purification or treatment system wherein a suitable additive is forced into the water which is in transit through a pipe 10. Briefly, the system involves in its general organization a base plate or panel member 12 adapted to be placed in a vertical position and secured to a wall surface or the like 14 and on which there is operatively mounted an injection pump assembly 16 including a pump body 18 in which there reciprocates a pumping plunger 20, a driving motor 22, and a train of driving mechanism designated in its entirety at 24 and by means of which the plunger 20 and motor 22 are operatively connected in driving relationship. Upon reciprocation of the plunger 20, quantities of the treatment liquid 30 are withdrawn from a receptacle 24 and delivered to the conduit 10.

The system with which the pump assembly is associated includes various functional instrumentalities such as an outflow check valve 92, an injection valve 96, and other devices not pertinent to the present invention.

The pump plunger 20 is reciprocable in a vertical bore 84 between an elevated position wherein the lower end thereof is disposed above a pump chamber 50, and a lowered position wherein this end of the plunger projects through the chamber 50 and forces entrapped fluid in the chamber through a bore 86 toward the outflow check valve 92. Fluid is conducted to the chamber 50 through a line 56 and a bleeder line 82 extends from the chamber 50 to the atmosphere. v

The driving train of mechanism 24 for reciprocating the plunger 20 is adapted to be driven from the electric motor 22 which is mounted adjacent the upper left hand corner of the panel member 12 and which is operatively connected to a gear reduction device 152 having an output shaft 154. The output shaft 154 of the gear reduction device 152 has secured thereto a driving disk 156 carrying an eccentric crank pin 158. v

A split follower yoke 162 has its upper end pivoted on the crank pin 15% and is formed with a split borev 164 in which there is threadedly received the upper end of a follower rod 166 having a lower cylindrical stem 168. The upper end of the yoke 162 is rounded as at 176 for a purpose that will be made clear presently. A pair of clamping screws 172 serve to draw the opposed yoke arms together in clamping relation with re spect to the follower rod so that the latter may be clamped in any desired adjusted position within the split bore 164. The stem 168 projects diametrically and completely through a guide sleeve 174 having trunnions 176 formed thereon which project into a pair of aligned holes 180 formed in a vertically reciprocable cage-like slide member 182 having a body portion 184 and a pair of forwardly extending parallel side arms 186 in which the holes 180 are formed. The body portion 184 is formed with a pair of oppositely extending flanges 188 which project into channel guideways 190 provided in a bracket 192 secured by screws 194 to the panel 12.

The slide member 182 constitutes one element of a vertically reciprocable two-piece plunger-supporting car- 35 riage assembly, the other element of which is in the form plunger in one direction or the other.

of a sheet metal plate 196 which has its lower end region secured by screws 198 to the rear face of the slide member 182. The plate 196 is guided in its vertical movements by means of a strap 200 secured by screws 202 to a bracket 204 secured to the panel 12 by screws 206. The plate 196 is formed with a forwardly extending abutment plate 208 which overlies the upper rounded end 170 of the follower yoke 162 and which is designed for engagement therewith during the upstroke of the carriage assembly. 7

Mounted on the stem 168 of the follower rod 166 and seated on the guide sleeve 174 is a thrust collar 210 designed for engagement with an adjustable thrust nut 212 having a knurled periphery for manipulation thereof and which is threadedly received on the threaded portion of the follower rod 166. A set screw 214 serves to secure the thrust nut 212 in any desired vertical position of adjustment on the rod 166.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the slide member 182 is formed with an integral split collar 215 providing a split bore 216 which threadedly receives therein the upper threaded end 218 of the plunger 20. A pair of clamping screws 220 serve to draw the split sides of the bore 216 together on the threaded end 218 of the plunger whereby the latter may be secured in any desired position of vertical adjustment relative to the plunger-supporting carriage. To effect such adjustment of the plunger 20, as well as to perform certain calibration and initial setting adjustments as will be described subsequently, a knurled nut 222 is threadedly received on the plunger 20 in the upper regions thereof. A set screw 224 serves to lock the nut 222 in any desired adjusted position along the threaded portion 218 of the plunger 20.

From the above description it will be seen that the stroke of the plunger 20 is dependent upon the amplitude of reciprocation of the plunger-supporting carriage 182, 196. When the upper end of the plunger 20 is secured in the split bore 216, and the upper end of the follower rod 166 is secured in the split bore 164, both in selected positions of initial adjustment, the uppermost position of the plunger at the top of each stroke thereof is fixed by virtue of the fact that the upper rounded surface 170 of the follower yoke 162 engages the underneath surface of the forwardly extending horizontal abutment plate 208 and forces the entire carriage assembly upwardly to the uppermost position of which it is capable of assuming as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The downward stroke of the plunger 20 is effected by means of the adjustable thrust nut 212 which is threadedly received on the plunger. Upon initial downward movement of the follower yoke 162 under the driving influence of the crank pin as the latter moves through the first 180 of its circular path of movement, the yoke will describe a compound movement having increments of both oscillation and reciprocation and the cylindrical yoke stem 162 will slide in the guide sleeve 174 until such time as the thrust nut 212 strikes the thrust collar 210, at which time the collar will engage the guide sleeve 174 and, through the medium of the trunnions 176, it will cause the cagelike slide member 182 and plate 196 to which it is attached to be moved downwardly until the thrust nut 212 reaches the bottom of its path of travel. During such downward motion of the follower yoke 162 and carriage assembly, the rounded upper end of the yoke moves out of contact with the underneath surface of the abutment plate 208 and a period of lost motion exists until such time as the thrust nut 212 engages the thrust collar 210. The amplitude of the downward stroke of the carriage and plunger may thus be varied by the simple expedient of rotating the thrust nut 212 on the threaded portion of the For a shorter plunger stroke, the thrust nut 212 will be rotated in a direction to elevate the same on the plunger and, conversely, for a longer plunger stroke, the nut will be rotated in a direction to decrease its elevation on the plunger.

The quantity of treatment fluid displaced from the bore 84 in the pump body 18 during each downward stroke of the plunger 20 may be measured in fluid drops, in cubic millimeters or in any other desired unit of volumetric measurement. In order to indicate the volumetric displacement of fluid from the bore 84 during each plunger stroke, a cooperating scale and pointer arrangement designated in its entirety at 340 (Fig. 2) is provided on the pump body 18 and is designed for cooperation with the knurled nut 222 on the plunger 20. The scale, which in the present instance is calibrated in fluid drops, is scored, etched, printed or otherwise applied to the outer face of a fiat scale plate 342 fixedly secured by screws 344 to the outer face of the pump body 18. The plate 342 is formed with an upstanding arm 346 having an abutment finger 348 mounted for swinging movement at the upper end thereof. A nut and bolt assembly 350 (see also Fig. 1a) effects the pivotal connection between the abutment finger 348 and arm 346 and a compression spring 351 serves to normally urge the arm and abutment finger into frictional sliding contact with each other so that the finger will remain in any position to which it is moved. The finger 348 carries a depending pointer 352 designed for registry with 'the scale provided on the scale plate 342. It will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 1 that increased depression of the abutment finger 348, i.e., movement thereof in a counterclockwise direction, will increase the scale reading. The abutment finger 348 is positioned beneath the knurled nut 222 so that during the downstroke of the latter, in unison with the movement of the plunger 20, the finger will be engaged by the nut and the pointer thus caused to register with an indicia on the scale which is commensurate with the displacement of fluid according to the selected unit of measurement from the bore 86. After an initial displacement of the pointer 352 by the nut 222, the pointer will remain in the position to which it has been moved until such time as an increase in dis placement is reflected by further adjustment of the nut 222 downwardly on the plunger 20. If an adjustment is made upwardly on the plunger 20 to effect a decrease in volumetric displacement of fluid from the bore 86, it is merely necessary to manually move the pointer 352 to a position where it will be engaged by the nut 222 and thus brought to a new position of registry with the indicia on the scale plate.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the electric motor 22 which operates the driving mechanism 24 is suitably mounted on the panel member 12 and it supports the gear reduction device 152 at a distance from the plane of the panel proper wherein the output shaft 154 thereof is spaced from the panel. The motor 22 may be supplied with current from a pronged receptacle 354 fixedly secured to the panel at any suitable location and to which the motor is connected by lead wires 356. The receptacle 354 is adapted for connection to a suitable cord (not shown) leading from an electrical wall outlet or the like.

From the above description it is believed that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described plunger control apparatus will be apparent. The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1'. Apparatus for transmitting reciprocal motion to a pump plunger or the like, said apparatus comprising a reciprocable carriage adapted to be connected to the outer end of said plunger for movement in unison there- 2,es1,11e

with between corresponding retracted and advanced positions and presenting first and second opposed abutments ,9

respectively arranged in spaced relationship, an electric motor having an output shaft, an eccentric crank arm extending between said abutments and mounted on said shaft for revolution about the axis of the shaft upon rotation of the latter, a follower pivoted to the crank arm at one end and having a portion thereof slidably guided in said first abutment, said follower having a contact surface thereon designed for camming engagement with said second carriage abutment for moving the carriage to its retracted position and a second contact surface thereon designed for engagement with said first abutment for moving the carriage to its advanced position, and means for adjustably moving one of said contact surfaces relative to the other contact surface to vary the distance between the contact surfaces whereby varying degrees of lost motion may be attained between said contact surfaces and the abutments with which they are respectively engageable.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the adjustably movable contact surface is the surface which is engageable with said first abutment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 214,203 Simpson Apr. 8, 1879 369,289 Hyatt Aug. 30, 1887 793,499 Bain June 27, 1905 2,030,296 7 Horstmann Feb. 11, 1936 2,257,387 Kinkade Sept. 30, 1941 2,291,889 Evans et a1. Aug. 4, 1942 2,564,793 Seter Aug. 21, 1951 2,770,972 Gratzmuller Nov. 20, 1956 2,783,652 Smith Mar. 5, 1957 2,841,991 Saalfrank July 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 37,339 Sweden 1913 

